1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a railroad well car, and more particularly to a well construction for a double stack container well car.
2. Background Information
The transportation of intermodal containers on railcars has been a common practice for several decades. The sizes and capacities of the containers have increased in time, however the Intermodal cargo containers have now been standardized in various lengths such as, most commonly, 20, 40, and 53 feet. Intermodal cargo containers have also been standardized in width as well.
The prior art has provided a variety of railroad freight cars adapted to carry intermodal cargo containers. Typically, such railcars are capable of carrying various configurations of different sized intermodal cargo containers. At times, a stacked arrangement of such cargo containers is employed. One type of container railcar in use is referred to as a well car, since it has a container-receiving well structure between the wheeled trucks which support each end of the well car. The body of the well car is generally at a low height, with containers in the bottom tier of a double-stacked container arrangement being supported approximately 10 inches above rail in a loaded car. The side wall structures of such well cars are generally formed as a plurality of internal or external side stakes and side sheets extending between the top chord and the side sill forming a substantially closed side wall structure.
There remains a need for lighter weight well cars that can thereby increase the carrying capacity of the associated car and/or fuel savings in the operation of the railcar. Further there is a need to provide for external inspection of a loaded well car. Further there is a need to provide a well car that can be easily manufactured and serviced.